Voltage converter tube



Oct. 28, 1941.

s. RUBEN VOLTAGE CONVERTER TUBE Original Filed Nov. 21, 1935 I Snventor 542/2112! @zzbevz Patented Oct. 28, 1941 VOLTAGE CONVERTER TUBE Samuel Ruben, New Rochelle, N. Y., assignor to Oscar A. Boss, New York, N. Y.

Originalapplication November 21, 1935, Serial No. 50,901. Divided and this application October 20, 1939, Serial No. 300,295

3 Claims.

This invention relates to combined interrupter rectifier devices for interrupting and rectifying electric currents and is a division 01 S. N. 50,901, filed November 21, 1935, Patent Number 2,192,506 issued March 5, 1940, entitled Voltage converter tube.

An object of the invention is to improve an interrupter rectifier device.

Another object is to provide an interrupter and rectifier device which is adapted to cause periodic variations in an electric current flowing in a circuit and to rectify current flowing in a circuit.

A further object is to produce an improved voltage converter whereby electric circuit potentials can be raised to values higher than those supplied by the potential source.

A further object is to provide an interrupter rectifier unit having some of its parts common to both the interrupter and the rectifier.

Further objects of the invention are to reduce mechanical noises resulting from operation of an interrupter, to prevent wear and oxidation of the interrupter contacts, and to achieve economical manufacture and operation of an interrupter rectifier unit.

Further objects of the invention will be better understood by reference to the following specification and claims and illustrations in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a voltage converter tube embodying features of the present invention, together with a diagram of a circuit suitable for use with the tube;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of certain of the operating parts of the tube and associated structure.

Referring to the drawing, the voltage converter unit shown therein comprises an evacuated glass envelope I provided with a mounting base ll of conventional form provided with prongs l2, -l3 and I4 for connecting the elements of the unit to an external circuit by fixing it in an ordinary socket, not shown. The unit is preferably mounted with its base H at the upper end so that a quantity of mercury IE will form a pool at the lower end of the tube H! which will then be opposite base II in its normal operating position. A

lope is supported a metal ring electrode I! by conductors 18 which extend through the metal envelope and support the electrode ll slightly above the surface of the mercury pool. Conductors It also extend through the wall of the envelope l0 and are connected to prong ll of the base member. A fiat metal spring 19, preferably of tungsten, is also mounted within the tube In slightly above the ring member l1 and parallel thereto. Spring 19 is supported by conductors 20 which lie parallel with conductors l6 and I8 and extend through the wall of the envelope to be connected to prong H of the base. All of these conductors i6, i8 and 20 are sealed within the wall of the glass envelope l0 adjacent the base member ll. The fiat metal spring i9 carries at its outer end an iron armature 2|. A rod 22, preferably of tungsten, is mounted on the under side of spring i9 near its central portion and passes downward through the central hole in the ring electrode ll, but is normally out of contact with the mercury pool IS. A tungsten spring 23 is also mounted on one of the supporting conductors 2D with its upper end positioned close to the upper surface of spring 19 so that it may act as a stop to prevent excessive oscillation of the armature spring H. An electromagnet 24 is mounted outside of the tube 10 and ad- Jacent to the electrode location, as described above, by any suitable means and is provided with a pair of spaced pole members 25 and 28 immediately adjacent to the armature 2| so that energization of the electromagnet 24 will cause the poles thereof to draw armature 2| toward the lower end of the tube or toward the mercury pool.

In the circuit shown in connection with this tube 21 is a battery and one of its ends is connected to prong 12 of the base II, the same line also being connected to one terminal of the electromagnet 24. The other terminal of the battery 21 is connected to one end of the primary winding 29 and transformer 28. The other end of the primary winding 29 is directly connected to prong H of the base and also to the opposite terminal of the electromagnet 24. Prong i3 is connected directly to terminal 3| of the output circuit to which is connected one end of a voltage dividing resistor 32 inthe output circuit. The secondary winding 3!! of the transformer 28 has one of its ends connected to prong H and the other end connected through choke coil 33 to output terminal 34 at the opposite end of the resistor 32. A pair of condensers 35 and 3B are connected across the output circuit on both sides of the choke coil 33 so that they form, together with the choke coil, 9, filter circuit for suppressing undesirable oscillations in the output circuit.

In the operation oi. this system shown in Figure 1, the current from the battery 21 passes through the winding of the electromagnet 24 and transformer primary winding 29 in series. Since the winding oi electromagnet 24 is of comparatively high resistance, the current intensity is comparatively small, but is sufficient to magnetize the electromagnet and cause the poles thereof to attract armature 2! which is mounted on spring 19 inside the tube. The attraction of armature 2i causes contact 22 to dip into the mercury bath [5, thereby short circuiting electromagnet 24 and allowing a greater amount or current to fiow in the primary winding 29 o! the transformer. The short-circuiting of electromagnet 24 removes the attraction of the electromagnet for the armature and armature 21 therefore springs back and pulls contact 22 out of the mercury bath i5. The breaking of the contact with the mercury produces an are at the point of break and ionizes the atmosphere between the ring electrode H and the mercury bath, thereby providing a low impedance unilaterally conductive path between this electrode and the mercury bath through the mercury vapor. The change in current in the primary winding 29 caused by the break in contact with the mercury results in a high induced E. M. F. across the secondary winding 30 of the step-up transformer 28. This high E. M. F. produces a current in the secondary circuit which current is rectified by the uni-laterally conductive atmosphere between the mercury bath I and the ring electrode H, which electrodes are in series with the secondary winding 30 as will be easily identified from the drawing. The rectified current passes through the dividing resistor 32 and choke coil 33 in the output circuit so that a high direct current potential is applied between terminals 3! and 35. It Will be obvious that low potentials can be obtained by tapping resistor 32 at various points as is indicated by terminals 31.

While mercury has been described as the preferred arc-producing body, other materials may in some instances be used such as amalgams of mercury with other metals; for instance, with sodium and potassium. The type of atmosphere or degree of vacuum used can be adjusted to be suitable for the electrode material and electrode circuit conditions desired to be used.

While the present invention, as to its objects and advantages, has been described herein as carried out in specific embodiments thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereby but it is intended to'cover the invention broadly within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a voltage converter system, a source of current and a first circuit fed thereby, a second circuit and transformer means associated with both said circuitsior supplying energy from said source to said second circuit, interrupter means in said first circuit and rectifier means in said second circuit, said interrupter means comprising a contact and a. pool of mercury and said rectifier means comprising said pool of mercury and an electrode spaced therefrom, and means for dipping said contact into said mercury and withdrawing it therefrom whereby said contact causes interruptions in said first circuit and also serves to start a discharge to said rectifier electrode.

2. In a voltage converter, a transformer, a primary and a secondary circuit connected thereto, a low voltage source connected in the primary circuit, a pool of mercury, an electrode common to both primary and secondary connected to the mercury pool, an electrode mounted in spaced relation to the mercury but capable of relative movement with respect thereto, magnetic means in series with the primary circuit mounted adjacent the movable electrode to cause it to engage the'mercury, said primary current being limited by the magnetic means and the transformer primary in series to a comparatively low value but sufiicient to cause a magnetic field which will attract the electrode, said electrode connected in parallel with the magnetic means and therefore causing a shorting out of the same when it contacts the mercury to cause a rapid rise in the primary current and reduction in magnetism to release the movable electrode and break its circuit again which provides a pulsating primary current and a high secondary current, and a relatively fixed spaced electrode mounted above the mercury pool and connected in series with the secondary whereby mercury vapor present between the electrode and the pool will act as a rectifier for the secondary circuit and provide a direct current therein.

3. In a voltage converter system, a source of current and a first circuit fed thereby, a second circuit and transformer means associated with both said circuits for supplying energy from said source to said second circuit, interrupter means in said first circuit and rectifier means in said second circuit, said interrupter means comprising a contact and a pool of mercury and said rectifier means comprising said pool of mercury and an electrode spaced therefrom, and magnetic means connected in'said first circuit for dipping said contact into said mercury and withdrawing it therefrom whereby said contact causes interruptions in said first circuit and also serves to start a discharge to said rectifier electrode.

SAMUEL RUBEN. 

